Vongola Asylum
by Saigon238
Summary: Who better to cure the insane than the insane themselves? First time writing KHR and yaoi, so please bear with any horrible writing I do! Constructive criticism very welcome :  Pairings: BF, XS, 692718, 8059 and some others. Rated T for swearing.
1. Chapter 1

It's been forever since I put anything up on FF, so my skills are a bit... yeah. Well anyway, this isn't particularly original, but hope you all like it! :)

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belongs to Akira Amano.

By the way, this story might start off really weird without any introduction whatsoever, but I'll get to it in the next few chapters (I already have storylines) :D Each chapter will have a different character as the "main" character, but Fran is the real main person kk?

Pairings: BF, XS, 692718, minor 8059 and some others. This is my first time writing yaoi, so don't flame please!

* * *

><p>"Fran-kun!"<p>

Large blank teal eyes flickered open and glanced at the bubbly nurse standing outside the door. _Oh for god's sake, do I never get a good nap here?_

"What is it, Sasagawa-san?" he asked in his customary monotone.

"Xanxus-san and Squalo-san are fighting again," her voice held a slight bit of exasperation, "Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto-kun are trying to calm them, but they need your help."

Fran rolled his eyes wearily. "Isn't that the third time today? And it's what," he glanced up at the clock, inwardly sighing, "11 in the morning?" He stretched out the kinks in his back and wearily stood up. _Goodbye, my darling chair_. "Now if the Boss and long-haired sword freak would realize they were attracted to each other and relieve their sexual tension in some way other than demolishing half the Varia wing, I might be able to have a decent nap." He glanced at the redhead still standing in the doorway with a slight blush on her face. _She's far too innocent for her own good._ "But until then, we'll have to deal with them the normal way." With that he walked out of the doctors' prep room, hands dug deep in lab coat pockets.

* * *

><p>"Trash."<p>

A loud crash.

"Hey, freaking calm down!"

"VOI! WHAT DID YOU JUST FUCKING CALL ME? I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU ONCE I GET MY FUCKING SWORDS BACK, YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!"

Another loud crash.

"Oh you did not just fucking ignore me!"

"Trash."

"OKAY THAT'S IT! BASEBALL FREAK GET THE SEDATIVES!"

"Maa, maa, no need to yell, Gokudera."

Another series of loud crashes, screams, yells and whatnot continued to sound from that room, which all other living beings seemed to have disappeared in its 50m radius.

* * *

><p>Fran sighed. He wasn't even halfway to the room yet, and he was already getting a migraine from the ruckus they were causing. Yes, that was how loud they were.<p>

"The next time I see the Arcobalenos, I am so petitioning for soundproof walls," he muttered darkly, cursing them for ditching him in this sonic hellhole. He was also cursing himself for forgetting to bring earplugs. _Oh my god, how could I have forgotten earplugs? _Nobody_ comes to Vongola Asylum without earplugs. I mean, _everyone_ knows that once you step in here, your eardrums are in critical danger! And I'm a doctor. A freaking _doctor_. I _work_ here everyday! How could I have left them at home?_ He fought the urge to smash his head into the wall right then and there, and just narrowly won the argument, purely because it would be a mess to clean up later, and that the cleaning fee would be taken out of his pay.

"YOU BASTARD OF A DOCTOR! LET ME GO!"

"Sorry, Squ-chan, no can do!"

"SQU-CHAN? _SQU-CHAN?_"

"Yeah, Squ-chan! It's said that nicknames are good to help patients and doctors bond together, isn't it nice?"

"NICE MY ASS! WHO THE HELL GETS CALLED _SQU-CHAN_?"

"Well, Lussuria told me that."

"LUSSURIA THAT FAGGOT! I'LL CASTRATE HIM! No wait, he has no balls. I'LL CHOP HIS FUCKING MOHAWK OFF!"

"Trash. Is that the best you can think of, sword trash."

"DON'T CALL ME TRASH!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

"Gokudera! It's not good to swear in front of patients!"

"YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP TOO!"

"I wonder how I put up with all of you."

All four faces turned towards the doorway. And, you guessed it, Fran was leaning against the door frame, panting slightly and one finger in each ear. He pulled them out and gently massaged his ears.

"Fran!" Yamamoto said cheerfully, "You here to help us out?"

Gokudera, looking very dishevelled, muttered, "About time, too."

Yamamoto's easygoing grin slipped a little when he saw the bags under Fran's eyes. "Why are you looking so tired?"

"Anyone would be exhausted with 2 hours of sleep last night monitoring that guy 'cause Tsuna was out." Fran couldn't help but slip in another snide remark, "Well, that and because it was too much effort fighting the sonic monsters coming out of that lady's mouth."

Said lady started struggling against 'her' captor's grip. "VOI! YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT, I'M A MAN! A _MAN_!"

Fran just turned a cool teal eye on him. "Oh I'm sorry. Your hair is very misleading you know. That and the fact that it's silver. I thought you were an old grandma who accidentally got lost on her way to the supermarket."

Yamamoto burst out laughing like he always did, Gokudera let out an amused huff despite his sour mood, and even Xanxus cracked a grin, albeit a feral, I'm-about-to-kill-you grin.

"DON'T YOU DARE LAUGH AT ME, STUPID FUCKERS! ESPECIALLY YOU XANXUS!"

"Trash, I'll laugh at what I want."

"VOI!"

"Ow…" Yamamoto winced. "Squalo you nearly dislocated my shoulder."

"Stay still, you bastard," Gokudera growled, "Hurry the fuck up, Fran!"

"Okay, okay, I need to get the dosage right," said Fran emotionlessly, filling up the syringes, "You don't want the police on us right? Even if these guys are dangerous and insane criminals." _Now isn't that ironic._ He stabbed the two struggling (well, actually one) patients, injecting the sedative. "Done. Put the shark in a straitjacket and take him back to his room. And don't forget to triple-lock the door. Boss you can stay as you are, just don't do anything stupid."

"Hmph. I don't do stupid things, trash," Xanxus' voice slurred as the drug started to kick in. He looked discreetly at Squalo's unconscious body being strapped into the straitjacket. It really was amusing to rile up Squalo. Especially when that meant he was going to be able to see him face to face instead of over a video camera. Even if that came in the form of his room being half-wrecked. Not that it wasn't like that all the time anyway.

* * *

><p>"Whoa, Fran, how are you so good at handling those guys?" Yamamoto asked me on the way to the office.<p>

"He doesn't know?" Fran asked Gokudera with a slim eyebrow raised. "I thought everyone knew."

Gokudera shook his head, "He transferred here from Shigure Soen just a year and a half ago, remember?"

"Ah, right." Fran turned to Yamamoto, whose face was looking more and more confused by the second. "I used to be a patient here until 3 years ago. Xanxus was sort of the top dog, so everyone else in the Varia Ward called him Boss. Squalo was my roommate for a while until he accidentally killed the guard and had to be moved to a high security room."

"Oh, so that's how." Yamamoto's face immediately cleared up and became its usual smiley self again. "What did you have?"

"Eh?"

"This is an asylum, right? So what disorder or illness or whatever did you have?"

"I actually still have it. I go for counselling once a week."

The confused look came back on Yamamoto's face. "Huh? But I thought you got better so you could get out."

Fran shrugged. "I got out simply because I was better behaved and the disorder wasn't as serious as the other patients. They thought that it would be good to get a patient to heal a patient. More to bond over." He grimaced. "Like hell that's true."

"Well what do you have?"

"EBD. Internalizing type. Kind of explains my entire life."

"Really? Yeah well, I used to be suicidal you know."

Gokudera choked on the bottle of water he was drinking. Fran's normally emotionless eyes widened. "You?" they said in unison.

"Haha, yeah."

"That's literally_ impossible_." Gokudera snorted. The smiley baseball freak? Suicidal? Psh.

"There was nothing written on your transfer report about it though," Fran said.

Yamamoto shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Gokudera reached into his pocket, but Yamamoto grabbed his hand. "No smoking on premises, remember?"

The silvernette glanced down at their joined hands and blushed lightly, snatching his hand away with a frown on his face. "Dude, I just need one to calm myself down after Xanxus, okay?"

"Rules are rules, Gokudera, I'm confiscating them." Fran reached into Gokudera's lab coat pocket and fished out the packet of cigarettes.

"You can't do that!" You could practically hear him mentally pleading, _please, don't take them away, anything but the cigarettes…_

"I can, I'm the Varia Ward Head Doctor, and the person who actually assessed you during your internship." he said with a slight trace of smugness.

"Haha, Gokudera, you're pouting."

"I AM NOT!"

"Be quiet, my eardrums are damaged enough today, and you played a pretty big part in it." Fran touched his ear tentatively. It was still slightly sore from the Xanxus-and-Squalo incident a few minutes ago. Of course, the second part of his sentence started another argument consisting of more snide remarks, rank-pulling and sarcasm (Fran), heated retorts and swearing (Gokudera), and failed peacemaking (Yamamoto). Little did they know, all the noise they were making was making a certain skylark very, very annoyed.

"Stop crowding my corridor, herbivores, or I'll bite you to death, Head Doctor or not."

* * *

><p>Yeah... not too good. My other ones were better. I'll probably come back to this a bit later and improve it.<p>

EBD = Emotional and Behavioural Disorder

Sorry if Xanxus seemed OOC just then...

Well anyway, review please? Constructive criticism very welcome :)


	2. Chapter 2

Hello, people :) I'm back with a new chapter to Vongola Asylum (surprisingly quickly...). Well anyway, hope you enjoy this!

* * *

><p><em>Previously:<em>

"_Stop crowding my corridor, herbivores, or I'll bite you to death, Head Doctor or not."_

_Uh oh,_ Yamamoto thought as he saw the visibly ticked-off security officer approach, _we've done it now…_He plastered another one of his carefree smiles on his face, hoping it would act somewhat like a shield against the almost-visible deadly aura.

"Hey, Hibari," he said in an overly cheerful tone, "What's up?"

He thought he saw Gokudera faceplant himself out of the corner of his eye. Fran looked like he was anime-sweat dropping too.

A vein in Hibari's forehead twitched. Yamamoto immediately mentally backtracked; _I don't think I should have said that…_

"Sorry, Hibari-san, we'll be moving now," Fran said hurriedly (or at least, as hurriedly as someone could get in monotone), and dragged the two other doctors along with him down the corridor.

Hibari just stared at the back of the 3 doctors retreating. Then something hit him.

"Head Doctor, that ridiculous hat is against the rules. Remove it."

* * *

><p>"Phew, that was close," Yamamoto laughed, "Hibari looked kinda mad."<p>

Gokudera, on the other hand, looked furious. "Close? _Close?_ Last time you did that half the Varia Ward was destroyed with his goddamned tonfas!"

"Maa, maa, everything turned out fine, didn't it?"

"Hurry up, you two, or we'll be late to the meeting," Fran chastised. He thought back to what Hibari had said about his hat. _True, it looks horrible, and makes me look like a frog, but it's not like I can do anything about it…_That guy_ would kill me if I took it off._

Fran settled himself into his green spinning-chair and stared around the cursedly brightly-lit meeting room. All the doctors of the Varia Ward were seated in some way around the round white table, and the two nurses (the redhead and the child-hater) were leaning against the wall. Gokudera had his arms and legs crossed tightly with a frown on his face, Yamamoto was laid-back with his hands behind his head, and someone else that he couldn't see was more or less sprawled out across 3 chairs. He propped his head up on his elbows and said in a bored tone, coupled with a piercing green stare, "Alright, I want a report on all the patients, Gokudera you go first." _Oh, how I hate these meetings._

The silvernette put his glasses on and flipped open the inch-thick file in front of him. Yamamoto couldn't help but stare at those emerald green eyes that just looked so much more adorable when framed with those black glasses. The little ponytail made him look that much cuter too.

Gokudera grumbled, "Levi's doing fine. His obsession with lightning and all things electrical is getting better, but he's developing a tendency to stick umbrellas and pictures of umbrellas everywhere." He was met with a raised eyebrow from Fran. "No, I'm serious! His walls are literally plastered with pictures of lightning strikes and umbrellas. Don't ask me why, cuz I can't answer." Gokudera paused there for a second. "Oh, and he's trying to run through walls now. To get to Xanxus, apparently," he sighed. "Can I request a patient transfer? I am _sick_ of that freaking Xanxus-obsessed pedophile!"

"Sorry, Gokudera, we have our hands full," Fran said. "Sasagawa? Sasagawa are you awake?"

Yamamoto then realized why he thought the room was abnormally quiet. His first impression of the 'Sunshine Therapist' had been the extremity of his volume. (AN: Haha, get the pun there?). If there was anybody who could rival Squalo in terms of loudness, it would be him.

"I AM AWAKE TO THE EXTREME!" Ryohei roared, jolting upright.

Fran's hat sweatdropped at a press of a button on his watch. "Your report please?"

"OH I FORGOT IT TO THE EXTREME!" Ryohei thundered, "SORRY TO THE EXTREME!"

"Lussuria-san is doing fine, I think the painting therapy is working," Kyoko piped up cheerfully, "He has a lot more to talk about now, and his fashion tips are wonderful!"

"He still punches the wall for no reason sometimes, so that's something to look out for," Hana added.

Fran turned his unrelenting gaze to the next person. "Yamamoto, your report please?"

Yamamoto flicked through his files idly. "Well, you know how Squalo is like, so there's no change really." He frowned. "However, the other guy is turning for the worse, he's sedated 24/7, Hibari has guards stationed all around his room with CCTV cameras, and he's permanently in a straitjacket. He still somehow manages to cut himself and get bloodstains everywhere though. And you know how he's like when he sees blood. I swear half the damage payments this place gets is from him."

Fran nodded understandingly. Belphegor was one of the worst cases the institution had received in the last 10 years. His disorders were so severe, he was pending to be put in the Special Vindice Ward as soon as they had room. "Well anyway, both Xanxus and Mammon have no change, so there's nothing to worry about. I would like everybody to keep an eye on Belphegor though, just in case."

"I think that's about it for today. Sasagawa, I think Lussuria is scheduled for a therapy session at 4 o' clock sharp, remember that. Yamamoto, if you need help with Belphegor, just ask, alright?" The teal-haired therapist looked at everyone else and waved his hand in the direction of the door. "Now just leave me alone and do whatever you want to."

When everyone had left the meeting room, Fran walked over to the filing cabinet and took out a black and red 2-inch thick folder with the words "Scarlatta, Belphegor VW2212" neatly printed on the spine. It had been a while since he last opened this particular folder, even longer since he last saw the psychotic prince.

_Scarlatta, Belphegor_

_Patient Number: VW44444_

_Date of Birth: 22 December, 1985_

_Admitted: 15 October, 2000_

_Current Therapist: Yamamoto, Takeshi_

_Diagnosis: Purely Obsessional OCD (blood, aristocracy)_

_Basic Information_

_Killed his entire family at the age of 6, presumably the start of his blood obsession_

_Also has a severe obsession with royalty and nobility, always addressing himself as "the Prince"_

_Known as "Prince the Ripper", a psychotic murderer with the tendency to completely mangle dead bodies and paint a crown above them in blood. Currently holds the record of 57 people massacred in one night._

_Not much else is known about the personal life of said patient._

"Bel-sempai…"

* * *

><p>"FOR GOD'S SAKE, I'M TRYING TO WORK TURF-TOP!"<p>

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, OCTOPUS HEAD?"

"Maa, maa, calm down, both of you."

Gun-metal grey and emerald clashed together in an electrical exchange, practically sizzling the air between them. Yamamoto tried to cool off both of their fiery tempers, but to no avail.

"DON'T CALL ME OCTOPUS HEAD!"

In truth, Yamamoto actually found the name 'octopus head' really cute. Especially when that lead to a very flustered and flushed Gokudera. The silvernette caught him staring.

"What are you looking at, baseball freak?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing," he smiled. "Only that I think you look nice today."

Gokudera's eyes widened and he turned his head away, a faint blush dusted on his pale cheeks. "D-Don't say things like that, stupid."

Yamamoto laughed, "Even when you stutter, it's kinda cute."

Gokudera coloured even more. "S-Shut up!"

"I THINK THAT GOKUDERA HAS A CRUSH ON YAMAMOTO TO THE EXTREME!"

"S-SHUT THE FUCK UP, TURF TOP! YOU SHOULD JUST SCREW KUROKAWA AND GET IT OVER WITH ALREADY!" Gokudera retorted, the tips of his ears tinged pink in embarrassment. _How the hell could that boxing idiot just randomly yell that out? It's even worse since it's actually true!_ Gokudera stopped his inner monologue in surprise. _No wait, delete that second bit. I _so_ did not just think that. He's just a baseball freak, a damn hot baseball freak, but he's just a stupid freak anyway._

Yamamoto's smile faltered just for a second. _Now if only that was true…_

"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY HANA LIKE THAT!" Ryohei interrupted the awkward inner moments of the two other doctors.

"Don't talk about Kurokawa-san like what, onii-chan?" came a warm, almost feminine voice.

All heads turned towards the doorway, where a certain caramel-eyed brunette was waiting with a lab coat draped over his arm and a questioning look on his face.

Tsuna asked kindly, "Um… did I interrupt something?"

"Oh, nothing at all, Tenth," Gokudera smiled, all embarrassment forgotten and green eyes sparkling. "Just turf-top being stupid as usual."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, OCTOPUS HEAD?"

"Here we go again…"sighed Yamamoto. Inside, however, he was sighing for a completely different reason. _Why does his eyes light up like that around Tsuna? I wish I could do that to him… _"Calm down, you two!"

"Stop." A deeper, more authoritative voice came from the door.

Tsuna's eyes had changed from their usual brown to a fiery orange.

The two bickering doctors immediately stopped their heated exchange.

"Yo, Decimo," greeted Yamamoto. "Nice to see you again."

* * *

><p>Haha, say hello to HDWM Tsuna! :D Chapter 3 will introduce one of our favourite characters, and I'll give you a hint:<p>

"Kufufu~"

I think that should be obvious. And we'll go into a bit more depth with:

"Kamikorosu."

That should be obvious too. And what relationship does each have with our darling Vongola Boss?

Our mechanics should be making an appearance too. Sorry if there isn't much plot development at the moment, I'm still trying to build up the background of the whole story. I promise there will be some action soon though.

Reviews are very much appreciated :)


	3. Chapter 3

The long-awaited next chapter (actually, the waiting time wasn't so long cuz I was super-hyped about having Mukuro in this story!) has arrived! :D Enjoy!

* * *

><p>...<p>

Tsuna woke up at 7:30 that morning, as usual. Or so he thought until he checked the clock.

"HIEEEEE! IT'S ALREADY 12?"

And that was the start to his extremely hectic day.

* * *

><p>Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.<p>

The taxi didn't move.

Taptap. Tap. Taptaptap.

The taxi still didn't move.

Taptaptaptaptap-

_**You know, even if you tap your fingers even more, the taxi won't go any faster.**_

_Shut up, Decimo, I'm nervous!_ Tsuna tapped his fingers even faster.

Decimo sighed inside Tsuna's mind. _**Then why don't you get out and walk? Its close enough,**_ he said, stating the obvious. How he was the dormant personality was completely beyond him, his host was just so stupid!

* * *

><p>After another 20 minutes, Tsuna finally arrived at the clinically white building that looked like pretty much any other hospital which was Vongola Asylum.<p>

_Finally!_ Tsuna literally wanted to kiss the ground in front of the main entrance.

_**It's your fault for getting lost in the first place. You practically took the wrong turn at every single junction!**_

_Well, at least we got here,_ Tsuna retorted.

And that pretty much brings us back to the present.

* * *

><p>"Yo, Decimo," greeted Yamamoto. "Nice to see you again."<p>

"Nice to see you too, Yamamoto," smirked Decimo.

_Don't just pop up like that, Decimo! _Inner Tsuna pouted. _At least give me some warning first!_

_Fine, fine… _"Tsuna wants to come out now, so I'll let him take over."

Glaringly bright orange eyes faded back out to their usual brown selves. "Sorry about that," he said sheepishly, "sometimes it just happens out of nowhere." He plopped himself down on a chair, inwardly sighing at the release of pressure on his feet.

Yamamoto walked up to their 'boss' of sorts and ruffled his hair, laughing. Tsuna pouted at the treatment of his spikes, and wished once again that he was just a few inches taller. "Hey! I spend forever on getting them to stay somewhat tidy!"

"Haha, all for a special someone, ne?" Yamamoto teased.

"S-Shut up!"

"Ah, Tenth!" Gokudera suddenly said. "Have you checked up on…"

"Oh I have, thanks for asking," Tsuna smiled.

Gokudera's customary frown made its way onto his face again, his initial Tsuna-happiness gone. "I don't get it, why do you even put up with being the only guy in the Special Vindice Ward anyway? They have the worst patients! Especially that new guy! He's like the creepiest thing to have happened to this world, with his rants on reincarnation and all that." He shuddered involuntarily. Just _thinking_ about that guy was scaring the living daylights out of him. Yamamoto just looked on worriedly.

"Thanks for your concern, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna replied, "but it's not that bad in the Vindice Ward. There are only 2 people in there at the moment anyway, and I'm only taking care of one of them." He shrugged, "Besides, I'm the only doctor who's officially qualified to take on any of the Vindice cases here. And Reborn would kill me if anyone else came to help me." He rolled his eyes. Even know, his former tutor was still watching his every move.

_But actually, that guy's not all that bad…_ Tsuna smiled slightly on the inside. _He can be a real gentleman when he wants to. He's quite nice to talk to, when he's feeling up to it._

"Boss…" Tsuna turned around to see a purple-haired nurse clutching a clipboard. "It's time for his therapy session." Her lone violet eye blinked owlishly.

"Ah, I got it," he said kindly, "Thanks, Chrome-chan. You go on ahead, I'll be right behind you."

* * *

><p><em>Oh damnit, I'm going to be late!<em> Tsuna panicked.

_**Hey, it'll be alright, doesn't matter if you're a couple minutes later than usual.**_ Decimo yawned. _**And besides, it's your fault that you forgot the file in the cabinet.**_

_Says you! Whenever you show up, something bad always happens to me!_

_**To me as well you know. After all, we share the same body.**_

_Be quiet!_ _Ow!_ Tsuna tripped over his own feet and stubbed his toe.

_**See what I mean, Dame-Tsuna?**_Decimo grimaced._**When you get hurt, I do too.**_

_I told you, shut. Up._

As he rounded the corner, he crashed headfirst into somebody who he would usually be very happy to see, but wasn't so pleased at the moment. But he couldn't help but smile softly at the person in front of him.

"Oh hi, Kyoya," he said, "Sorry for crashing into you, I was in a bit of a rush." He hoped that Kyoya would take the hint and move out of the way.

Apparently not. The skylark folded his arms and turned his head to the side so Tsuna couldn't see his full expression. "To see that person again?" he said emotionlessly. Inside though, he was practically burning with jealousy. That… that… thing saw Tsuna even more than he did!

"Ah, yeah," Tsuna replied. He knew full well that Kyoya wasn't happy with him for skipping out on their dates so much, but it was his _job_ to take care of his patients. He had a _duty_ to fulfil. "Oh, and I'm really sorry about missing our lunch yesterday," his eyes practically swimming in guilt, "I'll make up to you, I promise."

"I'd rather make out with you," Hibari said simply, and smirked when he saw his favourite brunette blush cutely.

"Mou, Kyoya, don't talk about that stuff here!" Tsuna huffed in embarrassment. Much as he loved the older man, he still found it very uncomfortable to talk about it in public. Then he remembered why he was in the hallway in the first place. "I really, _really_ have to go," Tsuna said, tiptoeing to plant a small kiss on Kyoya's cheek, "I'll see you later!" With that, he rushed off again.

Kyoya stared at Tsuna's retreating figure, and frowned. He didn't know how much longer of this he could take. That _thing_ was taking up far too much of his boyfriend's time. It was almost as if _he_ was the one dating Tsuna.

* * *

><p>The brunette punched in the password and pushed open the glass door leading to the Vindice Ward, stopping to check on the patient who he wasn't in charge of at the moment. That guy had just been transferred from the new Millefiore Ward a few weeks ago, and to be honest, Tsuna was a little scared of him. I mean, who has translucent green skin anyway?<p>

Tsuna placed his hand on the handle of the purple door he was currently standing in front of, willing his heartbeat to steady. For some unknown reason, whenever he came near this room, his heart would start thumping so loudly it was almost as if it was going to jump out of his ribcage. Like he had done all those times before, he counted to three and pushed down on the handle, walking into the room. The room was indigo, purple and black all over, with lilies and vines painted on the walls. The most eye-catching thing in the entire room was a massive picture of a pineapple, which stood out immensely from the dark hues everywhere. Next to the bed, on the dresser, there were some photos of a blue-haired man and a purple-haired girl, both of them laughing and smiling, and both of them with one eye covered. Said girl was currently snapping shut the restraints on the said man, murmuring apologies all the while.

"I'm sorry, but I have to do this," she said, her eye downcast.

"Kufufu~, it's alright, my dear Chrome, I understand."

Looking up, she said with a watery eye, "I-I'll leave it to you know, Boss." And she ran out of the room.

Tsuna sighed. "Do you always make people have that kind of reaction whenever they see you…

"…Rokudo Mukuro?"

* * *

><p>"Well, hello, Tsunayoshi-kun," Mukuro said in a lilting tone, with just a hint of an Italian accent, a single blue eye twinkling at him with mirth. He tilted his head. "It is Tsunayoshi, and not Decimo, yes?"<p>

Tsuna crossed his legs and smiled kindly at him. "Yes, it's Tsuna. Decimo won't be doing any of your counselling sessions for the next few weeks since he has something else to take care of."

"And he won't tell you what it is?" the blue-haired man chuckled, "That isn't very nice of your other personality."

"Everyone has their own little secrets, Mukuro," Tsuna replied smoothly, "And I want you to tell me yours."

"We go through this every week, Tsunayoshi-kun." Mukuro's smirk slipped off his face. "There isn't anything to tell."

Tsuna leaned forward, bringing his face closer to Mukuro's own. "Yes there is," he said firmly, eyes shining. "You just don't want to share it. But you have to tell me or else I can't help you!"

"What if I don't want to be 'helped', as you put it," Mukuro retorted, "I think I'm perfectly fine the way I am."

"Fine," Tsuna crossed his arms tightly, his brow slightly furrowed. "Then at least tell me what's under your eyepatch. Or are you like Chrome-chan, and don't have another eye?"

Mukuro chuckled. "Kufufufu~ I assure you, Tsunayoshi-kun, I have both eyes. I would show you the other one, but my hands," his gaze turned to his restrained wrists, "are occupied at the moment."

"Then you won't mind if I take off the eyepatch then, would you?" Tsuna reached over tentatively and slipped his cool fingers underneath the piece of fabric. The second his fingertips touched Mukuro's skin, something resembling an electric shock passed through him, and he realized with a start that it was the first time he had ever touched a patient. Quite literally.

He lifted up the eyepatch, and was met with a blood-red eye with the kanji number six inscribed on it. Tsuna stared at the newly uncovered eye blinking back at him. "What… is that?"

"Hmm? It's just another eye, albeit a very special one." Mukuro shrugged. "It proves that I have gone through the six realms of hell, like I tell you every single week. However," he smirked, "this seems to convince you a bit more."

"How…What…" Tsuna was at a loss for words. There was so much significance in that eye, it could be the key to unlocking Mukuro's secret, and in conjunction, his illness.

_This is too much for me, Decimo, could you take over for a while, just so I can get my head around this?_

_**Sure, don't take too long though.**_

Orange eyes looked into heterochromatic ones. "Tsuna's in a bit of mess right now, so I'll be continuing for the moment." He glared at Mukuro. It was obvious that he didn't have any good feelings towards the patient. "You pull any trick like that again, and I'll have you moved to the Arcobaleno facility. Believe me, you don't want Reborn, or even Skull, on your back."

"Kufufu, that was no trick, my dear Decimo." He tilted his head. "This is my real eye. No contacts. Besides, my darling Chrome wouldn't have listened to my request, she's too loyal to Tsunayoshi-kun."

"Anyway, about your hallucinations –"

"For the last time," Mukuro snapped irritably, "They. Are. Not. Hallucinations."

"Whatever." Decimo dismissed it with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "Your _illusions_, then, or dreams or what the hell you want to call them, how have they been?" _**Are you done yet?**_ Decimo complained, _**I don't want to talk to this guy anymore.**_

_Almost, just keep going._

_**Hmph.**_

Mukuro leant back and said thoughtfully, "I don't know, they haven't been making much sense recently. But there's always one thing that stays the same for all of them."

"Oh? And what would that be? Pineapple faeries?" Decimo said sarcastically. He got that joke off that Frog Doctor, what's his name? Oh, Fran.

Mukuro became visibly pissed off. You know, that red anime mark? "Don't _ever_ call me anything to do with a pineapple. And for your information, no it wasn't about pineapple faeries." A smirk came across his face. "It was about something _much_ more interesting."

"Hm? Keep going," Decimo said, closing his eyes. God, that pineapple face was practically scarring his retinas.

"It was about Tsunayoshi-kun."

Decimo stiffened. Tsuna? What on earth was Tsuna doing in that guy's dreams?

"I want Tsunayoshi-kun."

Brown eyes snapped open.

* * *

><p>Ahahahaha that felt good to write. :) Mukuro is hereee!<p>

Did anyone catch the "pineapple faerie" reference? Hehe, I was dying to use it somewhere. Decimo is also turning out to be a real pain isn't he?

Reviews very much appreciated (as usual)!


	4. Chapter 4

Ooh, my chapters are getting longer :D I'm getting the hang of this. Read and enjoy!

* * *

><p>Tsuna closed the glass door of the Vindice Ward behind him, knees shaking. He slumped onto the adjacent wall, resting his head against the cool glass, willing his breathing to calm down.<p>

"_I want Tsunayoshi-kun."_

He closed his eyes, trying to block out the sentence that was going round and round in his head. Making his way down the corridor, he didn't realize that there was somebody in front of him until he bumped into them.

"Hey, hey, watch where you're going!"

Tsuna jolted out of his trancelike state, looking up into kind bespectacled eyes. "Oh, it's just you, Shoichi-kun," he looked at the blonde standing next to the redhead, "and Spanner."

"You looked really out of it then," Spanner started, "Something happened?"

"Uh, no, nothing at all, haha," Tsuna forced out a smile and a laugh, keeping his voice light, "I'll just be on my way then. See you both later!" He ran down the hallway, footsteps echoing loudly.

Spanner looked at Shoichi questioningly, wondering what would have made the brunette this agitated. Shoichi just shook his head and shrugged. "If Tsuna doesn't want to say anything about it, just leave him.

"He must have a good reason for staying silent."

* * *

><p>The walls suddenly transitioned from their normal cream colour to a pure white, signifying the change from the old Varia Wing to the newer Millefiore Wing. The two doctors stopped in front of a door, listening to the bickering going on inside.<p>

"No, Daisy you have to do this!"

"But it's more fun this way. Bluebell you always spoil it."

"The instructions tell you to stick them together, not rip them apart."

"This is my game, so leave me alone!"

"Nyunyu…"

Spanner rolled his eyes in the direction of the noise. The two children really were a handful at times. He smiled at the shorter doctor. "Well, there's a new coffee shop open down the street, want to go there after work?"

Shoichi smiled, "Yeah, sure."

"Don't overwork yourself, alright?" The taller blonde placed a small kiss on Shoichi's forehead. "I'll see you later then." He stuck a lollipop inside Shoichi's mouth. "Stop frowning, it doesn't suit you." With that he pushed open the door and entered, prising apart the two arguing children.

Shoichi chuckled lightly. Spanner always had been good with kids.

"Well then, time to go check on Zakuro," he said to himself.

* * *

><p>Shoichi closed the door behind him lightly, not wanting to disturb the currently sleeping patient. It had been a rather…explosive session, and he dreaded to think about the bills that would be mailed to his house in a couple of week's time. An entire wall being demolished was by no means a cheap payment.<p>

He halted in front of a white door, with a nameplate saying "Byakuran Gesso" stuck onto it. There it was again. That frightening and intimidating oppression that came over him every time he stood in front of that door. It was almost as if the aura around that room was crushing him into pieces. But he couldn't help but feel a pull towards the patient inside, like two ends of a magnet.

Shoichi pushed open the door and walked inside the white room. Everything was so blindingly white, it was always a little disorientating. He walked over to the white-haired man with a purple tattoo sat in a plush white chair, and settled himself opposite him. Once again, Byakuran was munching on marshmallows and playing chess with himself. He looked up with his slit-like eyes and said in his lilting, cheerful tone, "Hello again, Sho-chan." Shoichi felt a little shiver down his spine. He mumbled an intelligible reply.

"Do you have any questions for me today?" Byakuran popped another marshmallow inside his mouth and moved his white knight, taking out a black pawn.

Shoichi said, "Not much, really. Have you changed your mind about world domination yet?"

"Nope," Byakuran said lightly, "I will destroy this world."

"Why do you want to destroy it?" Shoichi asked.

"Hmm?" The black queen knocked over the white knight. "This world is disgusting. Everyone talks about world peace, but people are making nuclear weapons. Everyone talks about equality, but people are starving everywhere while others look down on them like dirt." The white knight took out another pawn. "I want to change it. And the only way to change the world is by destroying the current one and creating a new one."

"But you could change it by some other method!" Shoichi protested, "Not everything has to be destroyed."

"You're right," Byakuran said, "Not everything has to be destroyed. But I will show the ignorant people how horrible this world is."

"How?" The clatter of glass knocking against glass echoed around the room.

"By taking away what is most important to them," Byakuran answered simply. He removed a black rook from the chessboard. "Quite like what Spanner is to you, Sho-chan."

Shoichi's eyes widened. How did he know about that? He was pretty sure he had never brought up the topic.

"The lollipop," Byakuran clarified. "It's a total giveaway." He leaned forward and tilted his head to the side. "You must really love him, don't you?"

"Yes…" Shoichi didn't like where this conversation was heading. "But I don't think my personal life concerns you."

"Oh, but it does, Sho-chan, you just don't know it yet," the white-haired man said, smiling. "Then do you love me?" The white queen took down the other black rook.

Shoichi felt his cheeks grow hot. "N-No, of course not."

Vivid purple eyes gazed into Shoichi's dark ones. He felt another tingling down his spine, and an uncomfortable prickling on his skin. It was almost as if those eyes could see right through him, and into his innermost thoughts.

"I can see that whenever you come into this room," Byakuran said, eyes open and without a single hint of a smile on his face, "there's always an aura of anticipation and excitement around you. You can't fool me, Sho-chan."

Shoichi turned his gaze away from Byakuran, who was still staring intently at him, and nodded slightly. "I do like you, as a person, but not in any other way."

Byakuran moved his last piece into place and checkmated the black king. "Then I'll change your mind." And with that, captured Shoichi's lips with his own.

* * *

><p><em>Damn it, where is that Spanner when you need him?<em> Fran thought viciously. _He has my USB, and I need it right now or else Reborn will be on my tail again._

He stormed into the Millefiore Ward and was just about to open the door to the kids' room when he saw Byakuran's room door slightly open. Immediately, he knew something wasn't quite right. _Shoichi wouldn't be so careless,_ he thought.

He moved to close the door, but what he saw inside rendered him incapable of all action.

_OH MY GOD, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?_ His mind was reeling, although his face remained impassive as ever. _I WILL NEVER GET THIS OUT OF MY HEAD, OH GOD, OH GOD…_

He quickly and quietly retreated out of the ward, all thoughts of finding Spanner and his USB forgotten. All he wanted to do right now was to scrub his mind and his retinas. The image of Byakuran pinning Shoichi down on the bed and straddling him, as well as suckling on his neck while Shoichi just clutched at the other man's shirt was too vivid for Fran to handle. But one thing was clear in his mind. _Do not tell Spanner._

Much as he was a good friend and should tell him that his boyfriend was cheating, he couldn't bring himself to break the news to him. Contrary to popular belief, Fran did have feelings, and he felt that it would be best for Shoichi to tell Spanner himself, and not for Spanner to hear it from a third party. After all, it was their relationship, and he shouldn't interfere. Right?

He looked up from his feet. While he had been pondering the information he had received not too long ago (AH, DELETE THAT IMAGE), he had unconsciously came to the room of the one person he trusted all throughout his life. Maybe it would be good to talk to him.

Opening the door, he stepped inside the dark purple and indigo room, practically covered in mirrors. A crystal ball sat on the bedside table, along with a small photo frame. An indigo-haired man sat in front of a pile of papers, counting them.

"5603, 5604, 5605… Who is it?" he said in a lilting voice.

"It's me," Fran said in monotone, closing the door with a soft _click_.

The indigo-haired man turned around in his swivel chair, triangular markings mirroring the ones underneath Fran's eyes. "What do you want? Our next appointment isn't scheduled until the day after tomorrow."

"Something came up," Fran plopped himself onto the bed. "Or is it wrong to come visit your own older brother now, Mammon?"

"No, but you just made me lose count," Mammon said, a hint of annoyance in his tone.

"You got up to 5605, I remember," Fran said, rolling his eyes. "But really, why are you counting paper?"

"Because you therapists won't let me anywhere near paper bills, that's why," Mammon said, picking up another piece of paper and placing them on the ever-growing stack on the floor. "5606. I see a question pricking at your mind. What's up?"

"Well…" Fran began, hesitating. Should he tell Mammon or shouldn't he? He decided on the former. "Say one of your friends is dating somebody, but you find out that that somebody is cheating on your friend. What should you do?"

"Is it that blondie and the redhead? The ones in charge of Millefiore?" Mammon asked. Fran nodded. "Thought so. What do you think you should do?"

"I wouldn't tell Spanner, but I'm not sure if that's the right thing," Fran said exasperatedly. "He's a great friend, but he really loves Shoichi a lot, so if I just told him, it would be a bit harsh, wouldn't it?"

"If that's what your instincts tell you, then stay loyal to them," Mammon answered, noting down the number of papers he counted and turned around to face Fran, purple eyes boring into Fran's green ones. "I may be psychic, but I'm no clairvoyant. But remember," His eyes grew dark, "the future depends on our choices. What you decide today shapes tomorrow."

They both stayed silent for a long time, their eyes never leaving each others. Mammon shifted suddenly, and resumed counting his pieces of paper.

"By the way, how's Bel?"

Fran's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected question, then darkened when he thought of the blonde, tiara-wearing faker who gave him so much trouble ever since the second they met.

"Fine," he said curtly.

Mammon sighed and spun around in his chair. "Really, you have to let it go someday, little brother. It's no use holding grudges for so long."

"Hn."

They stayed like that for while more, Mammon staring at the ceiling, Fran fiddling with the bedsheets.

"He's hiding something."

"Hm?" Fran looked up from the duvet cover.

"Bel, I mean," Mammon glanced at Fran from the corner of his eye. "And it's something pretty damn big. But I can't figure out what it is."

"You can't?" Fran said with just a tinge of incredulousness. Now this was a first. Mammon practically knew _everything_, he was just that good at reading people.

"It's pretty damn complicated. So many different layers, all intertwined with each other that it's impossible to distinguish," Mammon murmured.

"And you never thought to tell me?" Fran said, now slightly angry with his brother. This could be crucial to cracking Bel's illness once and for all.

"I never thought it to be important enough," Mammon shrugged. "And besides, it was something like 2 years ago, and I haven't seen him since."

"It's most probably some sort of regret or guilt, believe it or not." Fran snorted. Mammon insisted, "It's true! It isn't as strong as something like anger or depression, and it doesn't have the same vibe as maliciousness, but there's an underlying sadness and overall negativity." When Fran just looked at him dubiously, Mammon said, "I swear on my name as Viper."

Then Fran knew exactly how serious his brother was about this. Viper was a taboo word in their two-person family, as it was Mammon's birth name. Anything to do with his life before the age of 14 was a painful memory to him, because it had taken so many things away from him, including his parents. Fran was too young to understand back then, but under the name Viper, he had killed his own mother and father. It had been out of self-defense, but he was never quite the same after that.

"The only way to find out what's going on in Bel's head is by talking to him in person," Mammon continued quietly.

"So you want me to talk to him," Fran said flatly. Mammon nodded. "No way in hell am I ever going near that fake-prince ever again," Fran outright refused.

"But I'm sure Bel wants to speak to you though," Mammon said.

* * *

><p><em>I must be going mad.<em> Fran thought to himself as he stood in front of yet another door. _Absolutely barking mad._

He waved his security pass at the guards stationed at the doorway, and they moved aside to let him pass. He saw sympathetic looks thrown his way, and returned them with a blank expression of his own. Carefully pushing open the door, he walked inside a room he hadn't been in for 3 years.

It hadn't changed at all. Still the same blood-red walls, the same fake chandelier, the same gold and black trimmings on the bed, even the same knives stuck into a dartboard. What was different, however, was that there was nobody lounging on the scarlet sofa anymore. But there was a person confined to the bed, restraints on his wrists, neck, ankles and his abdomen.

Fran tentatively walked over to the confined person, blonde bangs covering his eyes as usual. "Yo, fake-prince-sempai, you awake?"

"Ushishishi~ Of course the prince is awake. And the prince is not fake," Bel grinned like a Cheshire cat. "So finally you decide to come see me after years." His grin softened into something like a real smile. "The prince missed you, uncute kouhai." He strained his neck to peer behind the teal-haired doctor, who was stood as still as a statue. "Where's the other guy?"

"I'm alone right now," Fran answered simply, digging his hands into the deep pockets of his lab coat.

"Shishishishi, Mammon must have told you something to get you down here," Bel said.

"In fact, he did," Fran replied, "He said that you have a really big secret. And I want you to tell me what it is."

"Shishi? He doesn't know?" Bel said, surprised. He was very pleased with himself to have hid it so well for so long.

"No, he doesn't, stupid fake prince."

"Don't call the prince fake," he hissed. "But really, he has no clue? And you don't either?"

"Why else do you think I'm down here?" Fran said like he was talking to a preschooler. "I'm not psychic like Mammon, and he can't figure it out. And neither do I have a super-intelligence network like Hibari."

"But… it's so obvious," Bel said, his grin faltering. "I thought you would have known already."

_I would have known?_ Fran thought, puzzled. _Me, and not Mammon? This makes no sense._

"Well if it was so obvious, as you put it," Fran countered, "then why don't you tell me right now?"

"Shishi, it wouldn't mean anything if I just told you," Bel replied playfully, his grin back in place.

Fran gave up. This guy wasn't cracking. "Suit yourself." He walked back towards the door and placed his hand on the handle when he heard a name he hadn't been called for years.

"Hey, Froggy."

He halted all actions. That name. He hated that name. It had always been a symbol of humiliation when he was younger, and it was made all the worse when he first came to Vongola as a patient. Why? Because of Belphegor's relentless teasing and bullying that stemmed from it.

"If you become my therapist and put up with me for 6 months no matter what I do, then I'll tell you."

He pulled open the door and closed it behind him.

But not before he heard one last sentence.

"Ushishishi~ Nice to see you're still wearing the ring and the hat."

* * *

><p>Fran fingered the metal band encircling his right ring finger, tracing the contours that he had already become so familiar with. The crest that Xanxus had created stood out proudly on his finger, the Varia ring. At first, it was just part of a system to keep track of what ward each patient belonged to, but after a while, it became a symbol that each patient could relate to. He remembered the first day that he arrived at Vongola, and the welcome he got from it.<p>

_A white room with a couple of tables and sofas. Some guy with long hair screaming at the top of his lungs. This other guy who looks like he doesn't give a damn about anything. Another guy who looks like he was dipped into buckets of paint. And another guy who has nothing special in particular._

"_VOOOIIII YOU FUCKING FAGGOT! I WON THAT GAME!"_

"_Squ-chan, calm down, it's just a game~"_

"_NO I WILL NOT FUCKING CALM DOWN UNTIL THAT SHITTY BASTARD ADMITS THAT I WON!"_

"_Don't call the boss a bastard!"_

"_Trash."_

"_WHAT DID YOU FUCKING CALL ME?"_

"_I see you've met the rest of them."_

_Fran turned around to see his brother approaching, followed by a blonde guy with really long bangs covering half his face and a tiara perched on the side of his head._

"_So they're the dysfunctional group I have to put up with for pretty much the rest of my life?"_

"_They're not all that bad once you get used to them," Mammon shrugged. "And don't forget, I'm part of that dysfunctional group too, so mind the words you use."_

"_Ushishishi~ Mammon is this your brother?" the blonde guy asked in a sadistic tone._

"_Yes, but don't you dare do anything to him, or I'll charge you," Mammon replied over his shoulder. "This person is Belphegor, but you can just call him Bel or pretty much anything you want."_

"_Shishishi, peasants should call me the prince~"_

"_Will do, fake prince," Fran said sarcastically. Then he felt a sharp pain in his forearm._

"_Bel…"_

"_Yes Mammon?"_

"_What did I just say about not doing anything to my baby brother?"_

"_Oops."_

_Only then did Fran look down at his arm, which was stabbed with a ballpoint pen and warm blood trickling down it._

"_Oh shit," Mammon cursed, "Squalo, get your sorry ass over here and take Bel back to his room."_

"_VOI, DON'T YOU DARE ORDER ME AROUND, BRAT!"_

"_I said, NOW."_

_Squalo took one look at Fran's arm and blanched. Just as he was about to grab Belphegor's arm, pens, scissors, knives and other sharp objects started coming out of nowhere into his hands, and all Fran felt after that was wave after wave of excruciating pain._

_Mammon's anxious calls and Squalo's screams fell on deaf ears. He slumped to the blood-stained ground with a resounding thud, feeling something cold slip onto his right ring finger, hearing nothing but the raging rhythm of his own heart._

_When he woke up, a ring glinted in the harsh hospital lights, and the frog hat was placed on his bedside table. Next to it was a note._

"_Welcome to Varia, uncute kouhai."_

"Yamamoto."

The tall baseball player looked up from his session plan to see Fran walking through the doorway. "Oh, hey Fran, I was just finishing off this therapy plan for Squalo." He snapped the folder shut, smiling in his usual carefree way. "Did you want me for something?"

"You'll be taking care of Mammon from now on. Don't worry; he's not difficult to handle."

Yamamoto's face blanked out for a second. "Eh?"

"I'll be in charge of Belphegor."

* * *

><p>Aha, I feel proud of myself :) Reviews and constructive criticisms very much appreciated :D<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Oh my god, I feel so guilty TT^TT I know I haven't updated in practically a month, and I don't have an excuse for it, only that I didn't have any inspiration left over. Well I have finished this chapter, so please enjoy!

* * *

><p>The streetlights shone above the busy, crowded roads and sidewalks, people bustling in their haste to get home. To a casual passerby, there would be nothing wrong about the couple currently walking quite leisurely side by side. It couldn't be farther from the truth.<p>

_Oh my god, oh my god_, Shoichi kept repeating inside his head like a mantra. He cast a furtive glance at his boyfriend beside him, and then switched his gaze to the sidewalk. _What the hell am I gonna do? I need to tell him, right?_ Even then, he doubted himself. _But what if he decides to break up with me? I love him too much for that._ _But I don't want to keep it inside! _An image of a certain white-haired man flashed in his mind. He shuddered. Just thinking of him made him feel the trailing fingers and – _Don't even go there! What should I do? Oh kami-sama, just give me some answers already!_ He sighed quietly.

Spanner, oblivious to the turmoil going on in Shoichi's head, nudged him gently. "We're here."The redhead looked up from the pavement, staring straight ahead, not meeting Spanner's eyes. "Come on."

The door jingled as they pushed it open. The shop was quite comfortable, with a faint aroma of coffee and sugar hanging in the air. Plush armchairs and couches were scattered about the room, as well as some wooden tables. Leather-bound books lined the walls, giving it the cozy and familiar feeling that one usually associates with old, well-used objects.

"Hey, Shoichi-kun! Spanner!"

"Yo," Spanner replied casually. Shoichi just nodded.

"Looks like the rest of them had the same idea as us," Spanner said.

Tsuna was waving at them from one of the many armchairs, a cup of something held in his hand. Yamamoto and Gokudera were obviously arguing about something, judging by their facial expressions and forgotten drinks placed on the table. Gokudera's slight blush gave away the fact that he was losing the verbal battle. Fran stirred his drink lazily, staring off into faraway space. The slight jingle of the door alerted him to Shoichi and Spanner's entrance. Emerald green eyes met bespectacled ones, and widened slightly before turning into a thinly veiled glare of accusation.

Shoichi vaguely remembered seeing a head of green hair during his… activity with Byakuran, blurred by his, dare I say it, slightly lust-covered eyes, and his eyes widened almost comically when he put two and two together. _Oh damnit!_

Fran turned his head away, still stirring his drink. The atmosphere suddenly became a lot tenser for Shoichi, although nobody else felt it. His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Flipping open the cover, he saw a new message alert.

_To: Shoichi_

_From: Fran_

_I won't tell._

Shoichi looked up in time to see Fran slip his own cell phone discreetly into his pocket, and let out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding.

_To: Fran_

_From: Shoichi_

_Thanks._

Shoichi and Spanner sat down on the couch opposite Yamamoto and Gokudera's, ordering two lattes.

"So… how was your day?" Tsuna started a conversation.

Spanner shrugged. "The usual. Bluebell and Daisy trying to claw each other up, separating them and getting myself clawed up."

Shoichi said, "Nothing," and left it at that. Tsuna couldn't help but wonder what had happened. The Shoichi-kun that he knew would never give one-word answers, and never speak that curtly.

"Haha, my day?" Yamamoto laughed. Judging from Gokudera's highly embarrassed expression, the argument had fallen to his favour. "Well, Squalo tried to cut me up again, and Bel was just being Bel. Oh and F – "

"Oh, my day?" Fran butted in loudly, effectively cutting Yamamoto off. He met Yamamoto's surprised look with a blank stare of his own, carrying a message that said 'one more word and I'll give you so much paperwork it'll kill you'. His volume returned to its normal level. "Visited Mammon and Xanxus. And did a whole load of reports because somebody forgot to send them to me." He looked pointedly at Gokudera, who had the decency to look somewhat guilty. Fran turned his patented stare onto Tsuna. "So how about you?"

Tsuna felt the tips of his ears go red. The incidents from this afternoon started playing in his mind again. He forced a smile, "Well, Mukuro is being his usual self, and Ghost is unconscious, so nothing happened. Well," he grimaced slightly, "Reborn happened."

Everyone shuddered, except Fran, although he did internally. The doctor who worked in the Arcobaleno ward was a nightmare to face, not to mention being Tsuna's godfather and tutor, as well as one of the high-ranking officials in the Vongola Corporation. Timoteo, the current boss, also known as the Ninth for obvious reasons, trusted him with his life, and that included putting his nephew, who would eventually become the next boss, into Reborn's care as well. Fran also knew him quite well, seeing as Mammon used to be one of the Arcobaleno too, before the mental block around his memories wore down and turned him into the money-addicted person he was now. All the Arcobaleno were impossibly skilled, with several conspiracy theories surrounding them, most of which involved Reborn and his profession before he became a therapist.

"What did he do this time?" Gokudera asked, although he, like all the others, had a hunch.

"Paperwork…" Sympathetic looks were directed towards the Vongola boss-to-be. Tsuna's face brightened up a little. "Well I'm sorry but I have to go now," he said apologetically. "Reborn wants the reports done by tomorrow morning, and I need to check up on Mukuro and Ghost." He stood up and shrugged on his coat, a paper cup held in his hand.

"See you tomorrow then." With that, he exited the shop, door bells jingling softly in his wake.

Gokudera ran out, chasing after Tsuna and yelling about doing paperwork with him. Yamamoto followed suit, waving goodbye to Shoichi and Spanner. Fran silently slipped out the door after them, muttering something about 'too much coffee in the air'.

* * *

><p>"Shit."<p>

Gokudera's silver hair fell around his face, water dripping off the ends. Of all times, the sky had to pick _now_ for it to rain? He ran for the nearest shelter, which just so happened to be a tree that didn't really give much protection against the raindrops.

_Damnit, why didn't I bring an umbrella?_ He glared at the stormy sky, silently cursing it for all he was worth. All of a sudden, a blue umbrella blocked the grey sky from view.

"You'll get a cold like that you know." An all too familiar voice made itself known beside him. Gokudera whipped around, his hair scattering water droplets. He made a quick checklist in his mind. Vapidly smiling face. Check. Black hair. Check. Tanned skin. Check. Totally delicious forearms. Che – _what the hell?_ All in all, Yamamoto Takeshi was standing right next to him, holding an umbrella above his head.

The silvernette blushed at the last 'tick box' on his checklist. "I don't need a baseball freak's help," he snapped.

"Would you rather I leave you in the rain?" Yamamoto said teasingly.

"Well… no," Gokudera grudgingly replied.

Yamamoto laughed at Gokudera's expression which was something like a cross between a grimace and a pout. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

_I THINK THAT GOKUDERA HAS A CRUSH ON YAMAMOTO TO THE EXTREME!_

Those words seemed to echo in the silence between them. Gokudera had his hands tucked deep into his pockets, and the two of them were averting their line of sight from each other, occasionally casting glances at each other when they thought the other person wasn't looking.

Was it possible to look good no matter what happened? Yamamoto thought so. Gokudera's hair seemed to frame his face perfectly even after a thorough drenching in the rain, and the water had made his white shirt stick to his lean body, even further accentuating his figure. A blush made its way across his face when he caught Yamamoto looking (staring), but didn't comment on it. His grey-green eyes suddenly widened.

"What's wrong?" Yamamoto asked concernedly, stopping in his tracks.

"I… left my keys at home."

"Is Bianchi in?"

Gokudera let out an exasperated sigh. "No, she's with that stupid horse of a boyfriend."

Yamamoto had a thoughtful look on his face. "I suppose you could stay over at mine…"

"What? No way!" Gokudera snapped. Inside, however, he was slightly excited about the prospect. Just slightly, mind you. His mouth contradicted his feelings. "I am _not_ staying with you, baseball freak!"

"Hey, no need to get defensive," Yamamoto placated the fuming silvernette. "It's just a suggestion. Besides, where else can you stay? I'm pretty sure Ryohei has no room, especially with Hana and Kyoko. Fran, Shoichi and Spanner all live in the opposite direction, and you can't kip out in the asylum either because Hibari won't let you."

Gokudera thought over it for a second, keeping a carefully neutral face. Inside he was smiling like there was no tomorrow. The baseball freak had just given him the best excuse for staying over! Not that he would admit it, of course.

"I suppose…" he said reluctantly.

* * *

><p><em>Tap tap tap tap tap ta-<em>

Tsuna sighed and deleted another paragraph.

_Come on, Decimo,_ he pleaded, _help me out here!_

_**Sorry.**_ He didn't sound sorry at all. _**But it's your job.**_

_Damn you to the deepest pits of hell._

_**Why, thank you.**_

"The tapping is annoying."

The brunette swivelled around in his chair to face his boyfriend who was leaning casually against the door frame.

"What are you doing?"

Tsuna smiled ruefully and gestured at the documents scattered around his desk. "The obvious," he stated.

Hibari glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall and gave him a (slightly) astounded look. "At 3 in the morning?"

Tsuna just turned back to face the computer once more, somewhat glaring at the stubborn document which refused to turn out the way he wanted. "You know how Reborn is about deadlines," and resumed the incessant tapping once more.

After a while the skylark was starting to feel more than a little left out. First Tsuna sees the pineapple freak more than him, now even the computer is getting more attention than he is! He wasn't going to put up with any more of this.

Just as he was about to impale the poor computer with his tonfa, Tsuna suddenly twisted around and handed him a paper cup. That caught him by surprise, which is even more surprising since the skylark was never caught off guard.

"It's yours, I kinda forgot about it," Tsuna laughed sheepishly, "Black coffee, no sugar."

_Well at least he remembered my coffee_, Hibari thought, slightly happier. _But…_

"The coffee's not what I need right now."

Hibari swooped down on Tsuna, capturing his lips in a ferocious, soul-searing kiss, conveying his urgency and need. Tsuna's honey eyes widened, Hibari wasn't usually this forceful. Coaxing his lips apart, the skylark ravaged the inside of his lover's mouth the way he knew would drive him crazy. And crazy it was.

Tsuna melted into Hibari's strong, firm embrace, and was pushed gently onto the floor, his lover sucking lightly on his neck, sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through his body. He couldn't remember how long it had been since the last time they touched, apart from small chaste kisses and brief hugs.

"_I want Tsunayoshi-kun."_

Heterochromatic eyes pierced through Tsuna's lust-induced hazy mind, jolting him back into reality. He forcefully pushed Hibari off him and scrambled to his feet, patting the dust off his clothes. "I'm sorry, I really need to finish these reports," he said apologetically, the intense blush subsiding.

The skylark just looked on in confusion and, dare I say it, _hurt_. Stalking out of the room, he rested his head against the cool wall. Tsuna was never like this. No matter how busy he was, he _always_ made time for him.

He was going to have a word with the pineapple freak.

* * *

><p>Shoichi stares at the wet pavement as he walked along, feeling just as gloomy as the weather. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, trying to unravel the mess that was his mind at the moment. His cell phone vibrated lightly against his hip.<p>

_To: Shoichi_

_From: Spanner_

_You home yet? Miss you. 3_

The redhead's heart squeezed painfully in guilt. How could Spanner still care so much about him when he couldn't even be faithful? He clutched his cell tightly, staring at the text message.

"What are you going to say?"

Shoichi whirled around in surprise, finding Fran sidling up beside him. "What are you going to say?" he repeated.

_To: Spanner_

_From: Shoichi_

_Not yet. Miss you too 33_

He snapped the white cell shut and stuffed it back in his pocket. "Thanks for not telling him," he said gratefully.

Fran shrugged and looked up at the brightly lit night sky. "It wasn't my position to interfere."

They walked together in comfortable silence for a while. "What are you going to do from here?" Fran asked.

"I don't know," Shoichi admitted. "And it wasn't really my fault that Byakuran decided to make out with me," he added defensively.

Fran's temper flared, an angry spark coming into his normally blank green eyes. "You could have pushed him away!" he said furiously. "You could have refused him, and you wouldn't be in such a mess like you are right now!"

_Or is it…_ Fran thought with a start, _No, it can't be. You can't be…falling for _Byakuran_ too, right? Right?_

"Do you like Byakuran?" Fran asked in a monotone, but with a slight underlying urgency.

Shoichi's eyes widened behind his spectacles. "No!" he said, "I don't like him!" He fell into a silence after that, as if he was thinking about something. Fran had half a mind to butt in, but decided against it. "Well, not like-like, if you know what I mean," Shoichi elaborated, "but there's just this feeling that I get around him. It's…thrilling, somehow. Spanner doesn't give me that feeling."

Fran just nodded, acknowledging Shoichi's thoughts, but not showing any opinion. They continued like this for another couple of minutes, neither of them breaking the silence, Shoichi too embarrassed and guilty to speak, Fran mentally working out the implications of Shoichi's statement.

"Well," Fran began, stuffing his hands into his pockets and looking away from Shoichi's troubled face, "I don't want Spanner to get hurt, but I'm not going to interfere." He stared into Shoichi's eyes, green meeting brown. "Sort out your feelings as soon as possible, and be honest to your partner."

He turned off at the street corner, throwing one last glance at Shoichi over his shoulder. "Spanner doesn't deserve this."

Shoichi watched Fran's figure disappear into the crowd.

* * *

><p><em>Don't stare, don't stare, don't stare…<em>

Dark eyes started to drift towards the scene in front of him. They immediately screwed tightly shut upon realizing their movement.

_Just ignore it, ignore it, don't look, don't look, don't – oh fuck this._

Gokudera was rifling through Yamamoto's drawers trying to find a spare t-shirt, his silver hair tied up on a ponytail at the nape of his neck with messy strands hanging loose, still damp with water. He was wearing only a pair of black track pants that hung low on his hip, the rest of his slim defined body exposing its smooth, pale, unblemished complexion.

Realizing that he wasn't alone in the room anymore, Gokudera turned towards Yamamoto, revealing more of his body and the dark-rimmed glasses that were perched on the bridge of his nose, framing his emerald eyes. At that moment, he looked almost beautiful. "Where the fuck are your shirts, baka?"

Okay, maybe not so beautiful after all.

Yamamoto's eyes roamed all over the lithe body in front of him. "Second drawer to the left."

Catching his gaze, Gokudera blushed lightly and turned away. "Stop staring."

Chuckling lightly, Yamamoto replied apologetically, "Sorry, you're just…" _Really beautiful, _he thought.

Slipping a blue t-shirt over his head, Gokudera looked embarrassedly over at Yamamoto. "Thanks for letting me stay over," he said grudgingly.

"I don't mind," Yamamoto smiled, settling himself into his own futon and crossing his arms behind his head.

The silvernette crawled into the futon next to him and promptly fell silent, breathing softly.

A few minutes later, Yamamoto whispered, "Hey Gokudera, you awake?"

No answer came from the hot-headed silvernette, who was turned away from Yamamoto.

The baseball player crawled over to his crush's futon, and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. No response.

_Looks like he really is asleep_, Yamamoto thought to himself. Looking down at the usually scowling face which was free of tension at the moment, he smiled gently. Gokudera was just like a big baby.

He leaned down and pressed his lips against Gokudera's cheek softly, careful not to wake him. Gokudera shifted slightly, but didn't open his eyes.

Sliding back into his own futon, Yamamoto fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

><p>I want to cry just reading what I wrote. This is horrible! TT^TT And I know I cannot write kiss scenes and romance for my life, so if anybody has any tips they would be very very much appreciated :)<p>

Reviews please?


	6. Chapter 6

I'M SORRY! OTL I know I should have updated like a month ago or something, but I've been pretty busy... Sorry... Well anyway thanks for all the support so far, and I apologize for any not-quite-up-to-par writing on here, skills getting rusty you know. It's the HOLIDAYS which means I have more time to write and whatnot, so I should get a couple of chapters up soon (I'm a fast worker when I get round to it).

Enjoy :)

Once again, KHR and all associated does not belong to me.

* * *

><p>Mammon observed the usual chaos from his corner of the sofa with an impassive look. After spending most of his life with this bunch of insane people, nothing could really faze him anymore, especially not the socializing sessions in the Varia common room. And by 'socializing session', he meant two hours of listening to screeching and having various objects being thrown around with killer intent.<p>

"VOOOIIII! WHY THE HELL DO I HAVE TO STAY IN THIS SHITHOLE WITH YOU SCUMBAGS FOR TWO WHOLE FUCKING HOURS ANYWAY?"

"Mou, Squ-chaaan~ don't swear~" The flamboyant gay tried to calm down his angry friend, but only served to irritate him even further, narrowly dodging a chair thrown in his direction.

Looking up from his newly painted nails, Mammon said boredly, "I told you already, Squalo, it's for us to 'bond' with each other, not that we need any more bonding." Scrutinizing the colour of his nails under the fluorescent lights, he asked, "Luss, you got any other shade of indigo? This one's kind of pale."

"Let me see, Mammon-chan~" Lussuria flounced over to his side and peered at the outstretched fingers through his dark shades. "Mou, this is already the fifth shade you've tried~" he complained good-naturedly, "I think I have another colour though, I'll give it to you later, kay?" Mammon nodded and smiled slightly in thanks.

"VOOOOOOIII USELESS BOSS, WAKE UP!" Squalo kicked Xanxus' chair hard.

Glaring crimson eyes shot open in annoyance. Xanxus picked up a ballpoint pen from the floor and threw it at his right-hand with deadly accuracy. "I was always awake, shark trash. How could anybody sleep through your yelling anyway, trash."

Squalo clutched the back of his head in pain. The ballpoint pen had actually lodged itself in his head. Spinning around to face Xanxus, pale blue eyes practically sparking in anger and a vein threatening to burst on his eyebrow, he screamed, "VOOOOOIIII THAT FUCKING HURT!"

Under his breath, Mammon said, "No shit, Sherlock." Lussuria, who was within hearing range, giggled quietly to himself.

"Shut up, I'm getting a headache from your screaming, trash." Xanxus closed his eyes.

* * *

><p>The bleep of security cards swiping through the entrance slot alerted the Varia members of their visitors. The doctors filed in through the doorway, stifling yawns. After all, it was still only just 10 in the morning.<p>

Mammon was born highly aware of his surroundings, and he couldn't help but notice a few slight changes in the doctors. The silver-head and the tall guy were standing closer to each other than normal, and the two of them were blushing slightly. Mammon didn't think that they knew that they were unconsciously showing the mutual attraction between them, but when it came to a seasoned psychic like him (or just some really observant people), it was as obvious as black ink on white paper. There were a few other giveaways too, like the stolen glances and awkwardness between them. Mammon could only presume that something had happened since the last time he saw them, which was two weeks ago, thus creating the awkward tension.

Those two had changing expressions every time, but Fran was unusually disturbed today, or at least not as calm as normal. Only he would be able to see that his brother wasn't all that focused. On the outside, Fran seemed just as blank and impassive as always, but inside, Mammon was sure he was struggling with something. There were two possibilities to his problems: One, his friend's relationship problem, and Two: Belphegor.

Fran was aware that Mammon was watching him closely, probably seeing that he was in a bit of a mental fix already. Well, who wouldn't be, especially after seeing one of your friends who is in a relationship make out with another guy, then accepting your eternal enemy as a patient?

Settling himself down on the sofa next to his brother, Fran began, "Well, there have been a couple of major changes over the past couple of weeks, so I'll just go through them before getting to the appointment schedules then, alright?"

Looking to his right, Fran told Mammon, "You'll be taken care of by Yamamoto from now on." As expected, the psychic didn't look surprised at all.

"Yo, I'm Yamamoto, and I'll be with you from today!" the tall baseball player grinned. "I hope we get along!"

Snorting derisively, Mammon addressed Fran, completely ignoring Yamamoto's introduction. "What on earth made you decide to take on Belphegor?"

...

Shock enveloped the entire group.

"I shall faint," Lussuria said dramatically, and dropped to the floor in a fell swoop. Levi, who nobody had noticed, followed suit with a loud _thunk_.

Xanxus opened his eyes in surprise, he was _not_ expecting that. And he hated surprises.

Gokudera and Ryohei were taken aback by Mammon's statement, switching their gazes between Mammon and Fran, hoping to get confirmation from the green-haired doctor.

Squalo expressed himself the only way he knew how to, which was by spewing a long list of swear words in various languages.

"It's none of your business," Fran said monotone. "Yes, I am dealing with Bel-sempai from now on, but it's no big deal." Everyone else looked dubious. "Really," he assured them.

"Anyway, moving on," he continued, "The renovations have finished, and these are your assigned rooms." Fishing a sticky note out from his pocket, Fran read out, "Room V01, Xanxus and Squalo. Room V02, Lussuria and Mammon. Room V03, Levi."

At the sound of his name, Levi sprang up from the floor, tears streaming down his face. "Nooooo! I wanted to be with Boss!"

Lussuria, apparently recovered from his faint, hugged Mammon tightly and pinched his cheeks. "Yes~ I'm going to be with Mammon-chan~"

"Ubuu – "

"WHY AM I WITH THE TRASH BOSS?" Squalo raged.

Hands twitching towards where his guns used to be, Xanxus resorted to kicking Levi in the face to vent his anger.

"Do you want to room with Levi then, old lady?" Fran asked.

Squalo immediately shut up, he would let that 'old lady' remark slide, as long as he didn't have to live with the hairy pedophile.

"And lastly," Fran said boredly, passing out sheets of paper, "These are your new appointment timetables for the next two weeks, please don't be late. Now leave me alone and go to your new rooms."

* * *

><p>"Stupid…fucking…knot…"<p>

Squalo cursed to himself under his breath, glaring at the mirror. In one hand was a hairbrush, in the other was a massive knot of hair that simply refused to be untangled. He had spent the last half hour struggling with it, and it seemed he was fighting a losing battle. He ran the brush through his hair again, tugging lightly on the knot, only to make it even tighter and harder to unravel.

"FUCK YOU!"

He threw the hairbrush across the room, making a hairbrush-shaped dent in the opposite wall. Sitting down fuming on the chair again, he grumbled to himself, "Maybe I should just cut the stupid thing."

Then he felt another hairbrush working its way carefully down his silver hair. Looking up in the mirror, he saw Xanxus standing behind him, indifferently combing through his hair.

"You shouldn't yank the hairbrush, trash," Xanxus said gruffly. "Your hair will come out."

They stayed like that for a while, Squalo sitting quietly (AN: …I did not just say that Squalo was sitting _quietly_ right?) in front of the dressing table and Xanxus gently working his way through the knot of hair.

"Done, trash, and be grateful for it."

Xanxus threw the hairbrush unceremoniously on the floor and walked back to his armchair on the other side of the room, settling in it and closing his eyes.

Squalo just sat there, unused to the gentle treatment from his boss. He was confused, pleasantly so but still confused. And he didn't like to be confused. _Why did he do that?_ he thought. _This is…fucking weird. Not that I didn't like it, but…why am I thinking like a fucking teenage girl in a chick flick? Whatever, better make it clear that nothing changed between us, even though that would be great…_

"VOI! I DIDN'T NEED YOUR HELP FUCKING BOSS! I COULD HAVE DONE IT MYSELF JUST FINE!"

"Sure, whatever, trash."

In truth, Xanxus was just as confused as Squalo was. _Why the fucking hell did I do that for the shark? That made me weak, even for a few minutes._

He remembered how soft Squalo's hair felt in his fingers, the smooth silky locks running their way through the gaps.

"_I'll follow you forever."_

Yes, that was what made him do that in the first place. The hair wasn't just hair, it was a reminder of their oath. To see the sign of Squalo's loyalty to him go would be too much of a waste.

Xanxus thought to himself, _Maybe this shark is more than I think he is._

Then he added, _Not to say that I like him or anything._

* * *

><p>Oh, we all know you do, Xanxus ;)<p>

I want to cry at my writing, does anybody have tissue?

Anyway, since it's almost CHRISTMAS I will have a Christmas Special up soon :D Check my profile for it, it's up already :)

Reviews very much appreciated thank you :)


	7. Chapter 7

Ehehe, this follows on right after the Christmas Special! (on my profile, if you're wondering.) The long-awaited first appointment between Bel and Fran is here! Believe me, it's not as good as it sounds (i mean my writing, not the actual meeting.) And the usual Varia chaos.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>"Ugh," Fran groaned, clutching his head, "My head feels horrible."<p>

"You really did a number on yourself yesterday," Yamamoto laughed, punching his arm lightly. "AKB48 and Girls' Generation? Nice."

"Good luck with your first session with knife psycho, eh?" Gokudera said. "Hope you don't come back with holes all over," he joked.

"Believe me, I've done worse than that," Fran replied drily, and stepped into the Varia Ward.

_Fake prince, I'll find out your secret._

He could almost hear him reply, "Ushishishi~ I'd like to see you try."

* * *

><p>Mammon and Lussuria were playing cards in the Varia common room, waiting for the rest of the members. To be honest, the purple-head was getting very annoyed by the constant praise on his nails. He <em>knew<em> that they looked nice, gorgeous, amazing and all other synonyms, thank you very much.

The second Xanxus and Squalo walked in, Mammon sensed that something was amiss. It wasn't… unpleasant, more of a confusing feeling. He looked into Lussuria's sunglass-covered eyes. "You feel it too?"

Lussuria answered, unusually simply, "Yeah, I do."

And then… wait for it…

…

"BOSS AND SQUALO ARE IN LOOOVEEE~~"

"What the hell, trash?/VOOOIII IMMA KILL YOU FAGGOT!"

Mammon fought the urge to headdesk himself. _Way to go with being discreet, Luss._

"I knew all that violence was something!" Lussuria squealed excitedly, clapping his hands together in delight, "Seeing as both of you are quite violent people, it was only natural that you displayed affection in a violent way! How could I have _missed_ that?"

_Yes, how could you have missed that? _Mammon thought sarcastically. _It was everywhere, you moron._

"Thank you, Mammon-chan~"

A vein pulsed slightly under the clairvoyant's bangs. "Didn't I tell you not to rope me into this?" he hissed.

"Oh, oops~"

_Oops indeed, _Mammon sighed internally, watching the anger bubble over in the two most violent members of Varia.

* * *

><p>Nobody else in the corridor? Check. No cameras? Check. No possible way of others walking in? Check.<p>

Shoichi took a deep breath next to the still-oblivious blonde. _Okay, I'll do it now_.

"Hey, um… Spanner?"

The blonde turned to face his redhead boyfriend. "Yeah?"

"Um… oh we're here already, I'll see you later!" Shoichi said in a hurry, and rushed off.

A voice in his mind nagged, _Coward, you couldn't even say a thing._

* * *

><p>"You're early, Sho-chan," Byakuran smiled. "Did the talk go well?"<p>

"I didn't even get a chance to start," Shoichi said darkly. "You stay in that seat for the _entire_ session today."

"Aw, that's mean~" Byakuran said. "I quite enjoyed it last time."

"Shut up, you marshmallow bastard," the redhead growled.

"Don't say that you didn't either, Sho-chan, 'cause I know you did," Byakuran said slyly, "The sounds you made were just so cute, like a mewling kitten~"

"OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Lilac eyes sprang open in amusement at the sight of a fuming doctor.

"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU, BYAKURAN! I DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO HELP YOU, AND THIS IS WHAT I GET? YOU JEOPARDIZING MY LOVE LIFE?" Shoichi yelled, and feeling even more furious when all he saw was that goddamned smirk. _Who gives if I'm being unprofessional._ He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

"What about me?" Byakuran asked. "Have you ever cared how I feel? Being stuck in the same room for years and never seeing anybody apart from you and the rest of the people here? That would make it four people that I've seen in a total of four years I've been here. And the others don't even talk to me, they _fear_ me because _you lot_," he said angrily, "have labelled me as _dangerous_.

"Loneliness can make a person sick. You can no longer ask somebody 'Is this real?' or 'Is this fake?' Reality becomes a dream and dreams become reality. Have you ever felt like that?"

Shoichi was stunned. This was a new side of Byakuran, a more human side, that he had never seen before. Sitting in front of him wasn't the infuriatingly difficult person who toyed with everyone else, but it was a person driven mad with loneliness.

And just when he was feeling sorry for the albino…

"Hah, fooled ya~" Byakuran laughed. But Shoichi could feel that it was forced. The smile wasn't the same easygoing, mischievous smirk. _Not talking about it would probably be the best thing_, he thought.

Standing up to go, he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and said, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Byebyee~"

As the door clicked shut, Byakuran's smile slid off his face, lilac eyes becoming serious. He walked over to his bed and flopped himself on top of it. Depression, sadness, loneliness; all that was ruling over his life like an iron fist. He felt trapped, and he couldn't get out.

But he wouldn't cry. Who would be there to see the tears anyway?

* * *

><p>"I see you're ready for our first appointment," Fran said, looking at the various objects lodged into the wall right next to his head. "The first thing you do when you see me: throw pens, pencils and forks at me." As he listed off the missiles, he pulled them out of the wall. <em>Hmm, they actually punctured it.<em>

"Ushishishi~ It's just my way of saying hello," the blonde sniggered, shoving his hands into his pockets. Striding to his 'throne', he sat himself down, crossing his legs on the table.

_Stupid fake-prince,_ Fran thought, _Obnoxious as always._

"How's everyone else?"

The simple question shocked Fran out of his poisonous internal rant. "Huh?"

"Oh, the frog speaks, now call the press," Bel sniggered. "I said, how's everyone else? As in, the rest of the Varia."

Fran snorted, "You're really just asking how Mammon is, right?"

"Ushishishi~ Bingo~" Bel snickered.

"He's okay, thanks for asking," Fran said vaguely. No way was he going to satisfy this faker's curiosity. He _should_, but when did he ever follow the rules?

A small voice at the back of his head said, _All the time._

He retorted, _Shut up._

"So, what questions you got for me, Froggy?" Bel asked, "'Cause I tell you, you won't get any answers you're looking for."

"All I want to know is your secret."

"What secret?" Bel said, feigning innocence. Fran snorted again derisively.

"Cut the innocent act, you know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Well, since it's a secret, why should I tell you? And if you yourself can't figure it out, and Mammon can't figure it out, then there's no point in me telling you."

"Uh… get to the point?"

"Ushishishi~ Nope," Bel said playfully.

_Ugh, this guy is even harder to crack than that walnut last week_, Fran thought. _What is up with him and his mind riddles? Last time I checked he wasn't this smart. Okay, maybe he was, since he's a genius and all, not that I would ever admit that in front of him, but this sort of psychological shit just isn't his… thing, for lack of a better word._

Just then, a huge crash and screaming came from the room opposite theirs. They heard Squalo's usual string of swear words, Lussuria's failed attempts at pacifying whoever was angry, Xanxus throwing things, probably various articles of furniture, and Mammon's grumbles about having to pay for repairs again.

"You did say you'd tell me if I stayed as your therapist for six months, yes?" Fran asked hurriedly. He had to go do some damage control.

"A prince never goes back on his word," Bel promised.

"I'll trust you, just this once." Fran thought for a bit, then added, "Even if you are a fake prince." He just couldn't help slipping in that snide remark.

Dodging cups, pens, paperweights and other things, he made his way out the door, but not before he heard the standard retort.

"THE PRINCE IS NOT FAKE!"

Putting the door between him and harm's way, Fran thought, _Bel-sempai, you used to read me like a book, just like Mammon did. This time,_ _I'll figure you out, no matter what._

Unbeknownst to him, Bel was also thinking, _Why don't you get it? Hurry up and figure it out, froggy. I don't think I can take it any longer._

__And then, _Nice to see you wearing my present, ushishishi~_

* * *

><p>When Fran reached the Varia common room, the entire area had practically been demolished. Once again, furniture was everywhere, be it destroyed or not, and at least half a wall had been knocked down.<p>

"Xanxus, I thought I told you not to throw the sofa at the wall last time. If you're going to throw something, throw the chairs, they're smaller and cause less damage," Fran said.

"Mou~ Fran-kun's right~" Lussuria pouted. "My head nearly got hit by it~"

"I meant less damage to the wall. You, I could care less about."

Mammon found himself 'consoling' a hysterical Lussuria about how '_your brother's being horrible to me~_" Pushing the flamboyant man off his lap unceremoniously and ignoring the thunk of somebody's head hitting ground, he explained, "Lussuria here decided to tell Xanxus and Squalo that they were in love." He rolled his eyes. "Typical, isn't it?" Right then, he missed a spark of mischief in his brother's sea green eyes.

"But I thought they actually were in love," Fran said innocently, "You told me, remember?"

_You are so going to get it now, Fran_, Mammon thought, glaring at his two-faced brother.

"Well, I need to go now," Fran said, "See you later!"

And that was how Mammon found himself face to face with two very, very angry armed people.

* * *

><p>Tsuna was breaking an asylum rule. The one that said "no loitering outside a patient's room'. Call the press, Tsunayoshi Sawada, Hibari Kyoya's boyfriend, is breaking a rule! Le gasp! It just so happened that this particular room belonged to a certain 'pineapple herbivore', as the skylark would call him, so I suppose we could forgive him for that.<p>

**Hurry up and go in**, Decimo snapped in Tsuna's mindscape, **All this indecision is driving me nuts! You're a pro, aren't you?**

_Yeah, but – _

**No buts! Just go in and get the thing over and done with!**

Sometimes, having an alter ego was really stressful.

**Go in!**

Okay, having an alter ego was _always_ really stressful.

* * *

><p>An hour and a half of mind games, riddles and indescribable frustration later, Tsuna emerged from the 'goddamn door of hell', as he called it. Mukuro could be a real nice guy at times, but on other days, he was just an annoying bastard who could, dare he say it, be on par with Byakuran when it came to psychological games. Not even unleashing an angry Decimo, twice, could deal with this horrible pineapple menace. And an angry Decimo was not a pretty sight. Tsuna felt pain in places he didn't even know could feel pain.<p>

_Well, thanks for throwing the word 'professionalism' out the window, after your rant about being pro, _Tsuna grumbled at his other half.

**He was being annoying.**

_Annoying. That's it?_

**Don't tell me you didn't want to kick him in the balls.**

…_I never said that, did I?_

**Good point.** A few seconds later, **Watch it, Hibari's coming.**

Tsuna looked up just in time to see his skylark on a rampage. "Uh, what's the matter, Kyoya?"

"Nothing, Tsunayoshi." In the eyes of a trained psychologist, it most certainly wasn't nothing. "I just need to check on the security cameras in the Vindice ward." Probably a lie, but Tsuna decided to give Hibari the benefit of the doubt.

"Okay," he said, then looked at the slight bags underneath Hibari's eyes. "Don't work yourself too hard, 'kay?" He straightened the skylark's tie and looked directly at his storm grey eyes. "Your health is more important to me than anything else."

Hibari felt a little warmed by that. "I know, Tsunayoshi, I know."

Going on tiptoes to reach his boyfriend's height, Tsuna pressed his lips against Hibari's cheek in a sweet kiss. "I'll see you later then," he whispered in his ear, a million unsaid (and rather suggestive) promises conveyed in that one sentence. And just because he couldn't help it, licked the shell of his skylark's ear, and walked off.

"See you," Hibari said, smirking a little. He watched his tuna fish go and turn around the corner, before walking to his own destination.

He was going to pay the pineapple a little visit.

Needless to say, Mukuro got more than just a few bruises from Decimo that day.

* * *

><p>I didn't write any real 6927 action this time round, cuz I didn't know how to! Maybe next time, eh?<p>

I love Christmas holidays. Free time! :D

Liked it? Hated it? Reviews very appreciated!


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